Focus 3RD-PARTY GAME DEV the online
viewpoint Ash Gaming specialises in
developing games specifically for the online gaming space - a sector very different from land-based
We've recently seen numerous land-based games developers announce online divisions, but are the skill-sets the same or very different? What in your view are the differences that separate online games development from land-based?
Steve Schrier - Ash Gaming: Yes, one of the larger land-based manufacturers made an early entry into the online market through acquisition several years ago and has made good progress. The others all seem to be viewing the market seriously now and have different approaches and I would say the jury is out on which one works the best.
We would say that the skill sets are different, but some of the fundamentals are the same. For the differences, the first example is in the technology used to produce the game. Online games are typically made in Adobe Flash. This can influence the style and how the animations works in the games themselves simply because of the animation capabilities of the tool. Land-based games are typically built by combining the graphical elements in a pure programming language such as C+. This can make a large difference to the presentation and the features of the game.
Online games typically built for an instant casino also need to take account of the file size that they are delivered to (this is not such a problem for an Internet download casino although still a concern). Even though the statistics indicate that broadband penetration in a country such as the UK is high, generally on the ground contention rates on ADSL lines and old equipment in the homes of players means that we believe the size of a game has to be a core consideration. To deliver an outstanding piece of multimedia entertainment within these constraints is an art. In land-based you have a dedicated cabinet with its own technology so the size of the graphics, video and audio is not a concern. How it is presented obviously still is. But, as a real-world example, an online player may very well have headphones on during their gaming experience versus a busy betting shop or casino floor.
Most important, is the maths. What environment is an online player in versus a land-based player? If I walk into a bookmakers and play a slot on a B3 machine, how frequently should the bonus round trigger? What do I want as a player from the time/money I have available? What gambling experience should I expect from this? The availabilty of varying stake ranges to the player changes some of the elements in the maths
profiles which appeal to players online. These are just some of the fundamental differences between online and land-based markets.
Why is Ash Gaming purely an online games developer? Do you ever see Ash Gaming creating games for both on- and offline?
Steve Schrier - Ash Gaming: Ash Gaming has traditionally been an online only developer. However, we have completed a small number of projects, and will continue to do so in the land- based world. As our content continues to be in the top performing section of any of our customers’ sites, we have more and more pressure from those that deliver in a ‘multi-channel’ environment to deliver the content across all their estates (including land-based, mobile, etc.) but they are very different sectors that require focus individually to make work. We are working on these projects in proportion to the opportunities that present themselves, as a smaller company we have to pick and choose our focus carefully.
Additionally, the commercial opportunities online are often more attractive. It’s easier for an online content developer to offer a point of differentiation for an operator, which can lead to customer acquisition. Because players can switch from one operator to the next with a click of the mouse, content proposition is even more important to attract the online player.
Ash Gaming isn't a name that will be instantly recognisable to our readership, but your games are consistently top performers in the online sector. Do you have the big corporate mentality and structure of major land-based developers, or is being a top performer in online gaming very different?
Steve Schrier - Ash Gaming:We are now 45 people and are growing fast. We do very little marketing around the games or our company as a brand and rely instead on a direct sales approach where we talk directly to our potential customers. We have around 37 licensees now and growing, and generally these are the largest companies in the online business. Our games appear in online casino, bingo and games sections.
We don’t have a big corporate mentality and the team is a small young unit. We try and keep the atmosphere very positive and creative. We see our staff as the foundation of our business and are proud to have been awarded an Investor in People
award and to have won the Rate My Placement award for best SME for 2011. I don’t think that being a small or large company is the most relevant issue but focus on quality, player experience and service to our customers and partners is the reason for our success.
Are the players of your online games the same as those playing in land-based locations, or is this a different audience? If you put an Ash Gaming title into a land-based casino machine would it hold its own?
Steve Schrier - Ash Gaming:We think there is a different set of players online. Typically the offline players are a little older on average. There will be some cross-over from a section of the community depending on the market. It is a very different environment for the player playing in a shop/casino versus online but, with some careful tweaking the games should do well.
Can online games create the same player experience, excitement and response as a land- based title - or should they not be compared in this way - should the experience be defined differently?
Steve Schrier - Ash Gaming: Yes and no, both sectors of the business are about entertainment and there are a number of ingredients that go into that which I think are the same in both markets. How it is delivered, however, is definitely a consideration – a dedicated piece of gaming hardware with screens, speakers, vibration units etc. is always going to be a controlled experience for the play guaranteeing a level of entertainment. A lot of this is unknown in the online environment – does a player even have the sound switched on, the level of equipment to display the game correctly, etc, etc. there are a myriad of things that need to be considered. However, fundamentally, it is down to what sort of gambling experience is offered for the player as the foundation of the game and the ‘magic sauce’ that goes into that we think is something that comes from focus on the particular delivery channel.
Steve Schrier, Commercial Director, Ash Gaming.
December 2011 Page 69
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